Government: Local and State — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A new playground is being built in your town. Which level of government most likely planned it?
A) federal government
B) state government
C) local government
D) no government was involved
Playgrounds belong to a single town or city, so the level of government that plans them is local. Federal and state governments handle bigger projects that cross many communities.
2. Why do citizens pay taxes to the government?
A) to keep extra money safe
B) to pay for public services like roads and schools
C) to give gifts to leaders
D) to buy things only for the mayor
Taxes are how the government collects money to pay for things everyone shares, like roads and schools. Taxes are not gifts, are not just stored away, and are not used to buy things only for one leader.
3. Which statement about voting is true?
A) Only government leaders can vote.
B) Children can vote in all elections.
C) Voting lets citizens choose their leaders.
D) People must vote for the same person.
Voting gives citizens the power to pick the leaders who represent them. The other choices are not true: voting is open to adult citizens, not just leaders, children cannot vote in elections, and people are free to choose any candidate.
4. How are the jobs of a mayor and a governor alike?
A) They both lead the whole country.
B) They both lead a level of government and serve the people.
C) They both work in Washington, D.C.
D) They both run the fire department.
A mayor leads a city and a governor leads a state, so both of them lead a level of government and serve the people who live there. Neither one runs the whole country, works in Washington, D.C., or runs the fire department directly.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When citizens disagree with a law, they can write letters to their elected representatives.
Elected officials who speak and vote on behalf of the people are called representatives. Citizens contact their representatives to share opinions about laws.
2. The state government is in charge of issuing drivers' licenses to people who pass the test.
States are in charge of giving permission to drive, and that permission comes in the form of a license. So drivers' licenses is what state government issues to people who pass the test.
3. A citizen is a person who lives in and belongs to a community or country.
Someone who lives in a community or country and belongs to it is called a citizen. The sentence describes that exact role, so citizen is the missing word.
4. Local leaders hold public hearings so community members can ask questions.
Public hearings are meetings open to the community where leaders listen to questions and ideas from residents. So hearings completes the phrase public hearings.
5. The three levels of government in the United States are local, state, and federal.
The three levels of government in the United States are local for a city or town, state for each state, and federal for the whole country. So federal completes the list.